It’s everyone’s job to keep the environment safe

WHAT arose from the Sg Kim Kim disaster two weeks ago are not just noxious fumes but the consequences of our long neglect of our environment.

While Malaysians say it is important to conserve the environment, most of us choose to either let others do the job or think that it is the role of the government.

In fact, a study by YouGov Omnibus of 1,013 Malaysians showed that while 91% believed that conserving the environment was important, almost half – 44% – felt that the government should be the one spearheading the role, and not consumers or businesses.

The same study also found that one in five – 22% – used plastic straws daily while almost one in four – 24% – used plastic bags at least once a day.

This survey was carried out at a time when both foreign and local media was already saturated with reports and pictures of mounds of trash – consisting mostly of single-use plastics like straws and shopping bags – in illegal dumpsites around Malaysia.

We now need to ask ourselves why Malaysians continue to neglect – and in some cases, even contribute to environmental pollution – when such reports should already serve as a warning bell.

In the case of Sg Kim Kim - and the list goes on with, among others, Sg Klang in Selangor, Sg Merlimau in Melaka and Machang Bubok, Penang – the dumping of waste, whether this be chemical or construction, has been going on for some time.

Worse, there are even reports that some residents near Sg Kim Kim knew that dumping was taking place all along but chose to close one eye.

Maybe they thought that the river does not belong to them or that the waste was not going to be dangerous.

Or maybe – and this is the most likely scenario – they just did not care.

After all, it is the job of the government authorities like the Department of Environment to clean up, enforce the laws and bring those guilty to court.

And if the penalties are not severe enough, it is still the government’s job to suggest amendments to the Environmental Quality Act 1974 – as announced by the Prime Minister – and for the Parliament to approve these.

But keeping the environment safe from harm and pollution is everybody’s job – the government, businesses and ordinary Malaysians – because we all live in one.

While it’s the government’s job to keep polluters in check, it’s the duty of businesses to ensure they dispose of whatever waste and carry out their operations according to the law and that of ordinary Malaysians to be vigilant.

This does not only make perfect sense because a bad environment can sicken and even kill but because a sustainable business model also ensures the continuity of one’s business.

If the lesson from the Sg Kim Kim disaster and some sick 4,000 people is for Malaysians to be jolted into making that all important connection between conserving the environment and public health, then so be it.